Rush Limbaugh, Bill Maher, Joseph Kony, and the Kony 2012 Video

The Lord’s Resurrection Army: In the summer of 1998 I visited Uganda and heard about the LRA, the Lord’s Resurrection Army, and Joseph Kony. Travel to the north was prohibited because of war. Kony’s LRA was backed by the Sudanese government in Khartoum to help fight John Garang’s SPLA (see Limbaugh’s comments below for a classic misread). Kony and gang had earned infamy for recruiting child soldiers, slaughtering families, cutting off limbs, slicing appendages from faces, raping women and girls, and conscripting sexual slaves for him and his soldiers. Eventually the LRA left Uganda and spread out over Central Africa. Uganda is currently one of the more peaceful and tourist friendly countries in Africa. As to Kony, there are other warlords and vermin commiting human atrocity all over the world (See Sudan), but elimation of his type would translate into less human suffering (See Kony 12).

LRA Atrocity (BBC)

Headline Grabbers – Kony 2012 vs. Limbaugh: So now, March of 2012, in the midst of Kony 2012 we have the Rush Limbaugh “Slutgate,” with Limbaugh being called a “misogynist.” Really. Dude may be a dipshit, but he ain’t no misogynist.

Bill Maher and Rush Limbaugh are not misogynists: The media branded Rush Limbaugh a “vile misogynist” after he called Sandra Fluke a “slut” and “prostitute.” Bill Maher once called Sarah Palin a “cunt,” and he’s attacked Michele Bachman, as well.In response Rush Limbaugh called Bill Maher a “rabid misogynist,” proving that two “wrong and stupids” do not equal a “right to point fingers.” Fucking Zeus! What is this world coming to? Sandra Fluke and Sarah Palin are not victims. Limbaugh and Maher are mirror images…but let them be. Unintentionally or not, they get society talking, unfortunately, the talk fuels the media-duped society to divert from real issues.

The Judiciary Report: Honor Killings

True Misogyny: I’ll tell you what misogyny is, it’s raping girls, using sulphuric acid or other means to disfigure women for “dishonoring” the family, or stoning women for adultery. Gary Ridgeway, Ted Bundy, and the goblinscum in the Taliban are misogynists. Do you really want to use the same word for Rush & Bill, or do you want to save it for something like this? Moroccan Teen Commits Suicide After Being Forced to Marry the Man Who Raped Her. Limbaugh and Maher made sexist remarks, sure, but c’mon, this whole campaign against them trivializes women’s rights.

May 13, 2012: Follow up, Moroccan government forces 14-year-old to marry rapist – here. What is going on in this world?

Why Kony 2012 Has Value: Finally, a few more words about Kony 2012. Despite misrepresentation of Uganda, faketivisim, and so on, bringing atrocity to the forefront has value, writing about it has a greater chance of good than harm, and may cause individuals to confront these issues. The Limbaugh “Fluke” controversy is a waste of thought, does disservice to true victims of misogyny, and allows PC vultures to go berserk. Kony 2012 looks for solutions.

4 Responses

Thanks for sharing this. I agree that these types of stories end up distracting us from very real and important issues impacting women worldwide, but I’m not convinced that means the use of gendered insults in public American discourse shouldn’t be a talking point. Whether or not Limbaugh or Maher are true misogynists is certainly debatable, but using such words to talk about female public figures does shape the way we consider female politicians, artists and intellectuals. Certainly, a sexist insult is not as bad as mutilation or slavery, but does that mean we shouldn’t talk about the impact it has on our culture?

Hi Arielle, Good points. It’s just how weighted and almost hyperbolic the onslaught against Limbaugh has become that irks me. He put his foot in his mouth, for sure, and should get heat, but I’d like to see him agnored. Thx for adding context.

Caleb – interesting commentary and boy, some really opening stuff about Kony. Nonetheless, I’m with Arielle on this one. It’s not JUST Limbaugh’s statements (or Maher’s for that matter), but the recent onslaught of comments, political statements, laws introduced and what not that are jeopardizing hard fought women’s rights in this country. Every day we are hearing about a new proposed law, a new statement from a prominent Republican, that simply goes in the face of women’s rights and sexual and reproductive freedoms. Does it mean we should ignore the situation in Uganda. No. But we also shouldn’t ignore the situation at home. And do you really think some assholes that can’t even care enough about the equality of women in the U.S. are going to give a rat’s ass about some poor black women over in Africa? Not a likely scenario…

Fair enough. But that’s a different hot dog. That’s not what my post was about. There’s overlap w/women’s rights in the Limbaugh flap, sure, but it’s drowned by PC watchdog doo-doo that distracts or makes the true cause seem ridiculous. The abortion debate remains the abortion debate, “slut” and “cunt” remain sexist terms, whose minds are changed? You can be pro-choice and sexist, you can be anti-choice and, believe it or not, be pro women (I’m pro-choice). Attacking or boycotting Rush brings him attention, and diverts the argument. Yes, words lead to action, or, in this case, lead to ineffective media garbage. Rush ain’t makin’ less money, and he ain’t hurt. Talking about a non- issue, and Rush is a non-issue, wastes a synapse in the brain. No argument is advanced, and a bunch of people that agree that they hate Rush can pat each other on the back, slam Rush, all in the name of “promoting the cause.”